Elizabeth Scott knows how to get to a wide range of readers' hearts, and her sixth novel is no exception. THE UNWRITTEN RULE is a quick but emotional read that--despite some construction problems--will easily hit home.
The book could've easily been another telling of the ages-old girl-likes-forbidden-guy trope, but Elizabeth Scott skillfully weaves in a complex family subplot makes it a fresh story--and gets our attention. The published synopsis fails to mention that Sarah's justified concern for Brianna's emotional well-being and what kind of love her friend deserves is the result of Briannas painful relationship with her parents. THE UNWRITTEN RULE beautifully illustrates the painful complications of love, and what it means for someone to deserve--or not deserve--love, and to what extent love can be used as an excuse for hurtful behavior.
But THE UNWRITTEN RULE is also flawed in the same way as Scott's other books. Each individual element of this story--each character, subplot, or event--works well on its own, but combined together, something feels...off. For example, Sarah has been in love with Ryan forever, and when he talks he's a pretty nice guy, but "nice" doesn't equate to love: I wanted, and didn't get, to see the reasons for her crush on him. While I thought the individual scenes were powerfully emotional, they never extracted themselves from the "staged play" feel and into an effortlessly realistic story.
Along the same lines, Sarah's character developed infuriatingly little throughout the course of this book. I was left feeling like I had gotten a glimpse into the complex world of conditional love, but the narrator's passivity ensured that I could never be fully invested in the book. I liked the story's message, but the story itself was too easily forgettable.
I have no doubt that THE UNWRITTEN RULE will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Scott, because it contains the usual amount of emotional insight and angsty-but-still-lovable characters that she is famous for. However, critical readers will be bugged by these subtle yet significant weaknesses. Nevertheless, THE UNWRITTEN RULE makes for an easy and still overall enjoyable read, perfect for a day when you don't desire human interaction but don't want to merely lie in bed, zombie-like. Believe me, it'll make you feel like an involved member of society without needing to leave the confines of your state of solitude. And sometimes that's what you really need.
The book could've easily been another telling of the ages-old girl-likes-forbidden-guy trope, but Elizabeth Scott skillfully weaves in a complex family subplot makes it a fresh story--and gets our attention. The published synopsis fails to mention that Sarah's justified concern for Brianna's emotional well-being and what kind of love her friend deserves is the result of Briannas painful relationship with her parents. THE UNWRITTEN RULE beautifully illustrates the painful complications of love, and what it means for someone to deserve--or not deserve--love, and to what extent love can be used as an excuse for hurtful behavior.
But THE UNWRITTEN RULE is also flawed in the same way as Scott's other books. Each individual element of this story--each character, subplot, or event--works well on its own, but combined together, something feels...off. For example, Sarah has been in love with Ryan forever, and when he talks he's a pretty nice guy, but "nice" doesn't equate to love: I wanted, and didn't get, to see the reasons for her crush on him. While I thought the individual scenes were powerfully emotional, they never extracted themselves from the "staged play" feel and into an effortlessly realistic story.
Along the same lines, Sarah's character developed infuriatingly little throughout the course of this book. I was left feeling like I had gotten a glimpse into the complex world of conditional love, but the narrator's passivity ensured that I could never be fully invested in the book. I liked the story's message, but the story itself was too easily forgettable.
I have no doubt that THE UNWRITTEN RULE will appeal to fans of Elizabeth Scott, because it contains the usual amount of emotional insight and angsty-but-still-lovable characters that she is famous for. However, critical readers will be bugged by these subtle yet significant weaknesses. Nevertheless, THE UNWRITTEN RULE makes for an easy and still overall enjoyable read, perfect for a day when you don't desire human interaction but don't want to merely lie in bed, zombie-like. Believe me, it'll make you feel like an involved member of society without needing to leave the confines of your state of solitude. And sometimes that's what you really need.
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